SHE's Fine!

This is a picture of my Mom on a trip we took just two months before she past away.  She was with all her children and grandchildren at a family wedding and we were having a blast.  Life was great!  We were making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you know what all families do.  This year right after our girls shopping trip she was having knee surgery so we were working on those details.  She needed to coordinate who would help her wrap her presents and who would help her bake.

We didn't know she was very sick.  She didn't know either.  The pain from her knee was masking the pain from the tumors in her stomach.  It was all so quick. So unexpected!  She died 17 days after she went in for knee surgery.  

Now, I am telling you all this because I learned so much from my friends during this time.  Things I think you need to know!  I see on Facebook all the time someone say my (fill in the blank) is in the hospital.  And their close friends all seem to say the same things, "praying".  Or "if there is anything I can do".  

Well, here is what you can do.  Don't ask!   They honestly don't know what they need.  They want the nightmare to be over.  Honestly, I was in a state of denial. I am the most take charge person you will ever meet and I could not tell you one thing I needed. And yet, looking back I can tell you 40 things I needed!!  

1. Don't ask!

If you know other friends contact them and coordinate on their behalf. First,  They need a hospital goodie bag.  What is a hospital goodie bag?  Well, a friend brought me one! It had everything I needed in it while I was sitting there with my mom.  

Hospital Goodie Bag

Water

Crackers

Gum

Lip balm

Hand cream

Candy bars

Tea

Granola bars

Snack packs of cookies

Pretezels

Notepad/pen (so you can write down what the doctor says or questions)

Crossword puzzles

I like to take a sweater or shawl to people in the summer or spring.  (Hospital rooms are cold and the people staying with them are usually freezing!)

Do they have pets at home?  Just ask where a key is so you can feed them or is a neighbor taking care of them.  

Do they have children??  I had 4 at home.  I had a college age daughter at the time.  So she could babysit her siblings. My sister who lives out of town, her friends were very helpful!  They bought gift cards and sent them to my daughter so she could buy dinner while we were at the hopital.  They didn't even live in our city and were taking care of our needs!  Needs I could not.  

Y'all those gift cards feed my kids for 2 weeks!  There are meal trains you can set up, those are easy.  

I guess my husband did the laundry?  I know I didn't!  But, I have often thought you just need to show up and do laundry, clean the house or hire some one to do it.  Those are things that have to be done and when you are going through such a hard time you can not do it.  

My mom died at Christmas time.  We buried her on the 20 th.  My brothers and sisters decided to do Christmas at her house one last time.  So, I went on up with my 4 kids to her house which was an hour and a half from my house.  I had nothing baked, nothing wrapped and of course no Christmas spirit.  But 3 of the ladies Mom worked with and were her friends met us at the house.  They brought dinner and wrapped every single present.  That was my extra gift  that year from my Mother!  The gift of friendship!! 

I remember Susan saying she wished she could do more to help me.  She felt bad because all she did was wrap presents.  My children wouldn't have had anything to unwrap if she hadn't been here!  I needed her!!  I didn't or would never have asked anyone to wrap my gifts.  She just showed up with scissors, tape and help!  Oh!  And dinner!!!  

The personal experience with my Mom made me realize.  You won't ever ask for help.  Not because your too proud. You just can't.  You don't know you need it.  It is honestly like you are walking in a fog.  

We will all go through things every now and then...it is just part of life.  So, this is how I look at it with my friends.  When I am in the fog of a tragic situation.  Just love me.  Don't judge me.  Don't judge how I act.  If you show up and do my laundry don't judge my mess!  And when you are in the fog of a tragic situation I will give you the same respect.  Nothing that is said or done will be held against you.  Because I know you are not yourself.  

May you never need me!  And may I never need you!!

-LisaB

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SHE: Cooks Football Snacks

Hey Ya’ll! Football season is upon us, and if your family is like ours, it means it’s an exciting time of year! In our home, we pull for the Tennessee Vols – through the good seasons and bad. Good food is always a necessity when watching the game. Today I’ve listed a few of our game day favorites. The best part is they are super simple to make and are sure to please a crowd!

Sausage Balls

1 pound uncooked hot sausage

2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

3 cups Bisquick

1 cup water or milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cheese and Bisquick and then add the ground sausage. As needed, slowly add the water/milk until it is no longer dry. Form into balls the size of golf balls. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

1 package frozen meatballs

1 jar grape jelly

1 jar chili sauce

These can be prepared on the stove or in the crockpot. In a bowl, combine the jelly and chili sauce. If you cook on the stove, place frozen meatballs in a pot and cover with the sauce. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. If using a crockpot, place frozen meatballs in the crockpot and cover with the sauce, then cook on high for 2-4 hours.

Hashbrown Casserole

1 bag frozen hashbrowns (cubed or shredded)

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

¼ cup minced onion

1 cup milk

½ cup beef broth

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Dash garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and preheat a skillet on medium high. Combine the frozen hashbrowns, cheese, and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, beef broth, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until well combined, and pour over the potato mixture. Carefully spoon the hashbrowns into the heated skillet. Stir occasionally and heat until the cheese has melted. Once the cheese has melted, transfer the hashbowns to a casserole dish. Finish cooking in the oven for 30-45 minutes.

I hope you're able to make one or all of these snacks this season. Make sure to share your favorite football snacks in the comments section!

xo ~ Brittney

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SHE: Cooks This Week

Hey Y'all,

It is Sunday afternoon and I am thinking about what all we have going on this week and I am determined to plan some yummy dinner options. This is much better than Monday night @ 5:30 thinking "Hmmm, wonder what we can have for dinner??" I admit as empty nesters it is less of a stress for me. But, we really do still like dinner of some sort.

image via google

Now our sweet, organized SHE Lisa ~ she plans her meals for the MONTH complete with grocery shopping. SHE is awesome!!  SHE Brittney & SHE Courtney have both shared their tips (& they are the newlyweds)... I am over here flying by the seat of my pants. I seem to be the only SHE who doesn't meal plan.   Dinner?  sure I can make .....  Don't laugh too much! I am taking baby steps.  

Looking at this week, I know I have commitments 2 nights, so leftovers would be nice for Mike. So I need 5 meals, 2 that are suitable for leftovers. Perusing my guilty pleasure of Pinterest and SHE Degree's website for some inspiration, I think I am going to try these dishes.

Baked Ravioli : You use frozen ravioli, pasta sauce of your choice and mozzarella cheese. Layer and bake. Add a green salad and you have a dinner (and leftovers).

We love chicken and rice. I found this crockpot recipe, but it only takes 4 hour. I would be afraid it might be too "cooked" when we get home.  So that would be a good option for a leftover dinner if I make on the weekend.... didn't happen this weekend, but maybe with some planning it can next week.

Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Sliders: I love using a rotisserie chicken. You can shred it and pour on your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve on little slider buns.    You can also use it to make a quick pot of chicken and rice.  I cook the rice in water with a bouillon cube (you can use chicken broth instead of water), add a little onion and garlic salt. Once the rice begins to simmer, drop in the shredded chicken and cook as directed. You may add a little pat or two of butter to add a little more flavor. It's a good idea to add slightly more water than called for to allow a juicier dish. Depending on the amount of rice you are cooking and the size of your family, if only a portion of the chicken is needed, you can use the other 1/2 for chicken salad, or toss the chopped chicken into a green vegetable salad for a healthy lunch or dinner.  You can also purchase some deli "chicken fingers" for your salad topper or add a few sides and dinner is ready, with just a little bit of outside help. 

It is a guarantee that at least one weeknight dinner will be hamburgers of some sort. This is my husband's favorite dinner! Grilled hamburgers are yummy and although I try to never let him down,  some nights it is too hot to grill. So I opt for a twist and this Hamburger steak looks like something we would both enjoy. Definitely left over options.

Another quick dinner is grilled steak. With a little preparation, you will have a even yummier steak. Marinate your steaks overnight in a mixture of lemon juice, oil, worcestershire sauce and garlic salt in a Ziploc baggie in the refrigerator. When you are ready for dinner, start the grill and take out the baggie. Let them warm up a little before placing on the grill, they will cook more evenly and not affect the temperature of your grill as significantly. My go to side for this is a fluffy baked potato and salad and I really love hot rolls with lots of melted butter... but we are trying to forget how much we enjoy that. :)

Well, it looks like I did it! I planned my dinners for several nights this week. Woo Hoo! Now, if I actually prepare them, we will call it success.  Have you tried any of these recipes? What is your family's go to dinner? Please share your recipes below, we would love to have more tried and try favorites and suggestions.

Happy Monday friends ~ 

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StrawNana Peanut Butter Dog Treats {National Dog Day}

Hey y'all! Today is National Dog Day, so naturally it's my favorite day (behind Christmas and my birthday). Spoiling my baby is my favorite thing to do and the other night I made him some homemade treats! Since it's National Dog Day, I knew I had to share the recipe. But first, some pics of my baby boy. (note: he'll be three next week but he's still my puppy/baby)

"Hi, I'm Mack B. Philpott. I love my mom and dad, sticks bigger than I am, the snow, and snuggling on the couch. I was also a super cute puppy!"

Okay, now that we're done drooling over my baby, let's get to the recipe. These are literally the easiest things you'll ever make and they're frozen - perfect for these hot days we've been having.  

You'll need 3 tbsp of peanut butter, 1 banana, and 32oz of yogurt, I used strawberry banana yogurt. I'll admit, this was by accident. I was on the phone, saw original on the lid and thought it was plain. But I personally believe they turned out better than they would have if they were made with plain yogurt. 

Slice up your banana and throw it all in the blender and mix it up really well.

Pour in ice cube trays (or if you're fancy use silicon trays shaped like paw prints!)

I filled up three!

Somebody was anxiously waiting!

Freeze for two-ish hours and you're ready to go!

They were a hit!

So to wrap that up...

32oz Strawberry Banana Yogurt

1 Banana

3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

Blend it all together, pour in ice cube trays, and freeze for two hours. 

I hope your babies love this as much as mine did.

xo Courtney

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SHE Loves a Good Tip!

One of my best friends in high school got burned helping his mom with a grease fire.  So, as a Public Service Announcement I want to remind everyone about grease fires. While also giving some great tips! Make sure you drill into your head, your children's heads, your husband's head....Never, ever put water on a grease fire!  (See tip #1)

(Picture via Internet)

1. Never, Ever put water on a grease fire.  If you are going to cook in a kitchen, this should be lesson number one,  (I should have put this as number one! )  Water on a grease fire blows up!!  If you have a grease fire you should think flour, baking soda or fire extinguisher.  Never water!  Never liquid!  Never!!  
2. To brighten up your vegetables as you sauté' them give them a squeeze of lemon juice. 
3. Add at least a teaspoon of vinegar to any soup or stew to make it even more flavorful!
4. Did you know coffee beans absorb nasty odors?  I bought a used car years ago and the previous owners had smoked inside the car.  I poured a bag of freshly ground coffee beans in the floor board and after one week the smoke smell was completely gone!
5. Are your eggs fresh?  Get a bowl of water. Eggs that float are no good.  Eggs in the middle of the bowl use up today.  Eggs on the bottom, they are fresh.
6. Have you ever burnt a pot of rice?  Don't stir!  Just put a slice of bread on top for about 5-10 minutes.  The bread will absorb the burn taste.  Then you can serve the rice, just don't scrape the bottom of the saucepan.
7. After boiling vegetables or pastas instead of pouring the water down the drain save it.  Pour it into a bowl and let it cool and then feed it to your house plants.  They love the nutrients in the water. 
8. Need to squeeze a lemon.  To get the most juice out of a lemon be sure to roll it around on the counter for a few minutes and then you can stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds. 
9. Have you ever had a soup turn out a little too fatty or greasy?  Drop in a few ice cubes.  Ice cubes will attract the fat or grease and then you can spoon it out easily.  It is a very quick process. 
10. If a soup you are making is too salty, then peel a potato and add it for a little while.  It will absorb some of the saltiness.

Lisa B

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SHE: Cleans out Closets

Hey Ya'll! This weekend I decided it was time to clean out our house. I'm ashamed to admit that after living in our home for a little over a year, we still had things in boxes. It was time to purge.

I started with our closet. When we moved in, there was no time to filter through our clothes. Everything from my closet came with me. That included clothes I had worn from high school, old shoes, and more. I started from one end of the closet and worked my way to the end. I followed three simple rules:
1. Have I worn it within a year?
2. Is it in good condition?
3. Will I still wear it?

If the answer to each question was yes, then I kept the clothing item. If not, it went into a pile. The pile became overwhelming.

Once it went in a pile, I brought in reinforcements. My fellow SHE and Mom, Amy, came over to help sort through clothes. She folded clothes and helped pack them in boxes to donate - it saved so much time!

The next task was to tackle my t-shirts. I love t-shirts, and have collected 50-100 over the years... To save space, I decided to fold and pack up all of my sorority t-shirts/sweatshirts/jackets. They are definitely not something I could part with, but I realized I didn't need them on a daily basis anymore. So I packed them in a storage tote to save for a later date. It freed up so much space!

If you're like me and need to let go of some things, but are afraid it will be overwhelming, start small. Try to filter through your closet once a week. Tossing a few items out a week will help cut down the clutter and won't be nearly as daunting!

Happy Cleaning!

xo ~ Brittney

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SHE: Does A Little Daydreaming

Hey Y’all,

I know the calendar says August, but with kiddos back in school I am dreaming of my favorite time of the year~ fall.  I love fall! The colors, the smells, the crisp air, fun clothes and it’s also the season of pumpkin everything.  J  (Even though I don’t drink “hot” drinks, pumpkin spice lattes smell heavenly).  Fall in the South, also means football, tailgating and lots of activities. 

image via Pinterest

To me, fall also means comfort. That sounds weird doesn’t it? But you know what I mean… Pretty décor, comfy clothes, warm hearty dinners, these are things that are inviting.  I have been doing a little day dreaming this weekend about fall and looking for some new ideas for this season. And where can you find more inspiration than Pinterest?  If you follow me on Pinterest, sorry I may have blown up your feed with Fall EVERYTHING.   

Here are just a few things that caught my eye:

·      Decorations:  love these ideas, they just say “Welcome  Home” don’t you think? 

·      Food: I enjoy crockpot cooking year round but especially in the fall. Love to start a

      crockpot meal on Saturday morning and let it simmer all day. The simmering fills the

      house with  yumminess.  And of course apple desserts of all types. These sound like great recipes to try ~  easy and quick to throw together. 

·       Clothes: how cute are these clothes… blanket scarves are so fun!  I have a little bit of a claustrophobic issue, but the blanket scarf can be used as a wrap without the bulk of a real jacket. 

. 

image via Pinterest

Hoping these ideas have you doing a little fall daydreaming of your own.  If you need

any inspiration our Pinterest board, Bring On Autumn, is ready to help you out

Xoxo,

  Amy

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SHE: Invites Her Friends

Hey Y’all,  

Pretty paper, note cards, pens, and makers, journals & planners~ these are definitely a few of my favorite things!!  With school starting back and the holidays right behind… maybe you are thinking “I need to get organized”.  And as always, the Ladies of She Degree would love to help a girl out! Make plans to join us on Saturday,  August 27^th 10-2 for

You will learn to organize your days while decorating your planner or journal using pens, makers, Washi tape, stickers & fancy lettering just to name a few.  We will be sharing meal planning tips to help make those weeknights run a little more smoothly. Plus you will make some planner accessories to take home with you. Doesn’t this sound like a lot of fun?  Grab your daughter or friends and sign up today. 

Great tips for ladies of all ages!! 

And if that isn’t exciting enough~ There will be some fabulous “Planner Swag”” from:        

           May designs          Happy Planner       Plum Paper           Erin Condren

&  more!!

We will plan, decorate, craft, laugh (we laugh a lot!) and enjoy a yummy lunch.

Several vendors will be on hand with planner items to purchase, too! You are

interested in finding out more now aren't you??  

Check out our website/ Facebook / Instagram for details. 

Mark your calendar for August 27th!!  See you there!!

                                                             xoxo, Amy

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SHE:Cool Treats

Hey Y’all,

It’s been a long hot summer! Today I am sharing a treat guaranteed to cool you off ~

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs, beaten

2 cans Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk

1 T. vanilla extract

1 c. sugar

½ pint half and half (or 1 lg. can Pet Milk)

¼ tsp. salt

 Approximately ½ gallon whole milk

Electric ice cream maker, ice and rock salt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, Eagle Brand, vanilla extract, ½ and ½ and salt.  Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Allow all the ingredients to get cool. Do the same with your utensils: put the canister and paddle in the freezer for 30 minutes. Starting with chilled ingredients and tools makes the process go a little quicker.  Now, pour liquid into chilled ice cream maker canister, fill with whole milk to “fill” line.  Stir together.  Freeze according to ice cream maker directions. Crushed ice and rock salt will be needed.   Once ice cream is “finished” mixing (you will know this by the way the machine starts slowing down).  Turn off the machine and allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!! 

image via google

You can have toppings or cookies/ brownies available if you want to add some extra sweetness. But this is so yummy, it is delish all by itself.   IF there are any leftovers, just pour into a plastic freezer container.  It will last a few days in the freezer, but ours never makes it that long ;)   

This is super easy to take to a cookout and family dinner.  Just mix together, pour into a clean, empty milk gallon, place in iced down cooler and then make it when you arrive at the event.

Stay cool and enjoy a treat.                 

Xoxo,

Amy

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SHE Needs a Break!

Life lately has been SO crazy. If you're anything like me you find yourself saying the dirty phrase - "we don't have any plans next weekend so we can finally relax and breathe!" Then by the time next weekend comes it is packed full of things.  Week after week the cycle continues with no break, and a weeknight - don't even think about it.

Now I'm not a doctor, but I do know that it is extremely important for you to stop and take a break. It is good for your health, your mood, and heck a calm you is healthy for your family too!! So find some time for yourself, whether it's an hour at 9:30 on a Tuesday night or you somehow manage the miracle of a whole Saturday to yourself - find the time. Schedule it your planner so you don't forget!

Below I've listed some of my favorite things to do when I need a break.

1. Get a massage - this is a no brainer and I've got one scheduled on Sunday afternoon!
2. Get a pedicure or a manicure (or both!)
3. Take a nice hot bubble bath - are you seeing a trend here? I love to relax by pampering myself. 
4. Read a book! I love getting lost in a good book and once I'm lost you won't find me again until it's over. Currently on my list to read are (numbers 1-5 just got delivered and I can't wait to get started):
1. The Art of Racing in the Rain
2. Reconstructing Amelia
3. Sharp Objects
4. Dark Places
5. Room
6. The Harry Potter Series
7. A Song of Fire and Ice Series 
8. The Shack
5. Binge watch a TV show. Okay, I know it's against all the rules to promote binge watching. But sometimes you just need to be a couch potato and spend all weekend watching your favorite TV show. Here are shows that are on my watch list as well as shows that I'm current on but love to watch:
1. Parenthood
2. Gilmore Girls
3. The Last Ship
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Game of Thrones
6. The Walking Dead
7. The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise (it's my guilty pleasure show, don't judge!)
8. Scandal

Now I'm going to throw you a curveball here. One thing that is really great to do before you take on a relaxation method is to clean. I know, I know.. how is cleaning relaxing? Isn't it the root of all evil? YES. YES IT IS. I'm right there with you but here me out (and Mom, don't fall over or call me and tell me "I told you so"). I like to set the timer for thirty minutes to an hour (depending on how bad it is) and really focus on speed cleaning. Put everything back in its place, vacuum, dust, light some candles, and so on. Then when you sit down to read your book or whatever it is you do it will be so much more relaxing knowing that the house is clean!

Help a girl out here? I'm always looking for things to add to my relaxation list - what is it that you do? What books or shows are on your list?

xo Courtney

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SHE: Can Clean

Hey Y’all,


How do you do… well, everything? A lot of our learning starts at a young age. You begin learning to do things to make yourself independent. As you get older your responsibilities increase and you are able to learn to do more things. And then one day you hit the “magically number” and you are expected to know how to do everything. That didn’t happen for me, did it for you?

There were so (SO!!) many things I did not know how to do when Mike and I married. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying bills… Now don’t get me wrong, I knew some basics. I had cleaned my room at home and helped with cleaning the house and even ironed clothes. But with cleaning, I realized quickly that I didn’t know how to really do it all. I have found it is best to start at the top and work my way down in each room. This isn’t what I always do, I tend to get a little distracted, often increasing my work load by dragging out things I had no need to drag out.

Here are a few tips I found that I hope will help you or maybe your student heading off to college (hugs to you! I know that will be hard).

You generally straighten, clean and deep clean.  How do you keep up with what needs to be done? There are lots of cleaning schedules. I like the idea of a schedule (you aren't surprised are you?). You don’t get overwhelmed by doing a little each day. I like that and I thought this one looked easy to follow. 

image via google

If you want some basic cleaning instructions, check here.  It is geared towards dorms, but would work for any home.

Some very basic tips:

• Straighten daily: Put everything away; if it doesn’t have a place~ it needs a new home. Make beds; clean the kitchen, wipe down counters, dishes washed and put away (I do not enjoy putting dishes away). Wipe down bathroom, spraying down the shower daily helps keep it clean (just be sure to rinse before jumping in the next time). Laundry, for most of us it’s done every day but if not, be sure to have a designated area for laundry (be sure to keep clothes and towels separated)
• Clean: start at the top, check for cobwebs, clean ceiling fans, light fixtures before you start on your floors. Light fixtures sparkle when cleaned in an ammonia solution. Dust your furniture. Sweep, vacuum, and mop your floors. Bathrooms: clean tub, shower, toilet, sink, wipe down counters, mirrors.
• Deep Clean: windows, blinds, wipe out refrigerator, oven, carpeting For how to specifics, check here. Taking pride in your home is a lovely characteristic and a clean home is welcoming and healthy for your family and friends.

A couple of quick very random tips:

• A Swiffer on the end of a broom works great at removing cobwebs.
• Rain X windshield cleaner works great on mirrors in the bathroom. Keeps them from fogging from steam.
• When cleaning glass vases or light fixtures soak them in the kitchen sink in a solution of 1 c. ammonia to a sink full of warm water. Be sure to place a towel on the bottom of the sink to prevent breaking the globes.
• Mom's start letting your little ones help early.  Having expectations at a young age teaches accountability and responsibility.  They are so eager and by starting early, it is just one more thing they learn to do for themselves.

Happy cleaning!!

  Xoxo, Amy

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Importance of Friends (and a "look inside")

The ladies that make up SHE Degree are incredibly special to me (like seriously don’t know what I’d do without them) and I believe that everyone needs to have one or more friends that fill their heart like these ladies do mine. The world we live in today is full of so much hate, so hug your loved ones and remind them that you care and that you’re thankful they are part of your life. Thank them for helping shield some of the hate, because we all need a break sometimes and you can’t do it alone. I've been blessed with a lot of really good friends. I'm still friends with a handful of people from college, and a couple of years ago one of Hubs' friends invited him to join a kickball team. That group unexpectedly became my family and I love them all dearly. But today I'm talking about my SHE ladies.

L-R: Courtney, Madison, Lisa, Brittney, Amy

To start – let me break down my relationship with the SHEs. There is Courtney (that’s me!), Madison (my sister), Lisa (my Mom) , Brittney (my best friend, we met in our sorority in college but also discovered we went to summer camp as kids), and Amy (Brittney’s mom who I’m so thankful for. Not only did she bring my best friend into the world, but she’s one of my new favorite people thanks to SHE Degree).  Riley is also a SHE. She isn’t active with us right now (she has a LOT going on), but will always be one of us (she was my college roommate and I took her in as my baby since her family lived in Memphis).

Brittney and I hit it off freshman year of college and have been besties since. She’s one of those friends that you just know you’ll be best friends with in the old folk’s home. We text daily and when we can’t its torture. I know I can tell Brittney anything and she’ll never judge me or tell anyone. That’s a good friend to have in your pocket! We've been through summer camps (apparently), college, engagements, weddings, and who knows what's next!

One of our very first pictures together!

This summer!

Now for a look into our meeting nights. We usually arrive within a few minutes of each other and as the front door opens, we all peak our head around the corner to see who has just arrived. The conversation we’re in the middle of stops while we say hello and hug. If my brother is there he greets us as the SHE’s, “Hello SHE Brittney” or “Hi SHE Amy”. It’s cute! Then once we’re all there, being the entrepreneur that he is, he usually has a proposition for us. It’s usually him reminding us that he took a few group shots for us when we were getting started and we need to pay him for it.

Of course next on the list is dinner time, SHEs love to eat! Last night as we ate chicken and waffles, we talked about how this wasn’t on our diet, but continued to eat it anyway!

The next two hours are filled with a very scattered meeting! Have you ever heard that women’s brains are like a bowl of spaghetti noodles (we’re all over the place and how we got from point A to point B doesn’t make sense)? Totally true with this group! We’ll start with one topic, but then something that was said will remind us of a story so we’ll get off topic. Then someone else will bring us back to work but with a different topic than where we left off. Then about 45 minutes later someone goes “wait... we never finished the details of xyz” and the cycle starts all over again.

All work and no play is not our motto! Growing up my Mom always said “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” and that holds true at SHE meetings too. If your voice squeaks midsentence? We’re gonna laugh at you. Pronounce a word wrong? We’re gonna laugh at you (looking at you Mom… tortilla is tortiYA not tortiLLYA). But everyone knows it’s all in good fun!

The love and friendship doesn’t stop there though. It continues day and night through our group texts. We aren’t just coworkers, we are family. We are each aware of what the other is dealing with and check in often. Yes, if you opened our group text you would find a lot of business related chat. You would also find things like “did you make it home safely from xyz trip?” “tell Christian good luck in his tournament” “happy anniversary” “happy birthday” and the list goes on.

I hope this little look inside shows you a couple of things. First, we aren’t just a business. We are a couple of ladies wanting to help you while we have fun doing it. Second, I hope that while reading this, you subconsciously were thinking of your own friend(s) that you have the same bond with. Friends are important. I know that no matter what I’m dealing with, 10 minutes into my time with the SHEs and it’s all melted away. I hope that you have friends as special as I do. Like I mentioned back at the beginning, my personal belief is that friends are one of the most important things you need in this life, like top five for sure!

Thanks for sticking around and reading this! I was really feeling strongly about my friends today! 

While I have your attention… have you taken our reader survey yet? It’s only five questions and will help us better tailor our work for you! You can take it by clicking here.

Also open for your enjoyment is our upcoming Planner Class and the Everything SHE Needs Christmas Market.  Be sure to check them both out.

xo Courtney

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